Scaffold



T. E. WEBB March 27, 1956 SCAFFOLD 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Oct. 11., 1952 INVENTOR 77/0/1145 15 /%555 R a ORNEYS United States Patent "ice SCAFFOLD Thomas E. Webb, Hayward, Calif.

Application October 11, 1952, Serial No. 314,250

Claims. (Cl. 304-2) This invention relates to working stages or scaffolds used in various trades for supporting workmen at desired levels above the ground such as in the painting of walls of buildings, and is more particularly directed to apparatus of this type adapted for ready installation and disassembly by a single person.

An object of my invention is to provide scaffold apparatus in which the number of parts are reduced to a minimum whereby the time required to erect and disassemble the same is reduced to a minimum.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the type described which will provide a horizontally disposed staging platform substantially entirely irrespective of minor irregularities in the supporting ground surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide scaffolding of the above character in which the staging platform may be readily moved to various elevations.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a knock-down type of scafioiding which is lightweight and which readily lends itself to construction using various building materials, and yet which is sturdy and sufficiently strong to accommodate the person using the same with safety.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the various elements comprising my scafiold in disassembled relationship.

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1, but illustrating the scaffold in assembled or operative con dition.

Figure. 3 is a side elevational view of the assembled scaffold shown in Figure 2.

In broad terms, the scaffold of the present invention includes a pair of spaced ground-engaging elements 11, a plurality of end standards or uprights 12, and staging 13 extending between the elements 11 and supported on the uprights by means of cross-bars 14. For purpose of illustration only, all of the foregoing elements are shown as being constructed of wood, but it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same could be constructed of a suitable metal, such as lightweight aluminum.

GraJnd-engaging elements 11 may assume a variety of forms, but for reasons of simplicity, I have here shown the same in the form of horses frequently utilized by carpenters and other artisans. Preferably, and in order to provide a more secure base for standards 12, each horse is of a three legged variety and includes a vertical post 16 forming one of the legs adjacent one end thereof,

2,739,847 Patented Mar. 27, 1956 a horizontal bar 17 forming the upper support member, and a pair of angularly disposed legs 18 adjacent the other end of the horse. Suitable bracing 19 and 21 may further be provided, as well as a bar 22 disposed subjacent and parallel to bar 17. For a purpose to be presently described, it will be noted that the respective ends of bars 17 and 22 extend beyond the general vertical planes defined by the legs 16 and 18.

The horses are designed to releasably carry and be secured to the standards 12, with one standard mounted on each end of the horse. Each standard includes a pair of parallel spaced side rails 26 with a plurality of spacer members 27 vertically spaced therebetween so as to define with said rails a plurality of vertically spaced cavities 28. With particular reference to Figure 2, it will be seen that the cross-sectional size of each cavity is just sufficient to slidably receive the extending end portions of bars 17 and 22 of the ground engaging elements 11. Likewise, the vertical spacing between the bottom of the legs of the horse and bar 22, and the spacing between bar 22 and bar 17 is such that two of the cavities 28 will receive the end of each bar, and the lower end 29 of the standard will be substantially coterminous with the bottom of the horse legs. Thus, unless the standard is deliberately moved in a direction corresponding to the longitudinal axes of bars 17 and 22, the standard will be retained in position, with the innermost portions thereof abutting the outer edges 31 of legs 18. However, to insure retention of the standards on the horses, pins 32 may be utilized, arranged to enter aligned apertures 33 and 34 formed in rails 26 and each of the bar members respectively. It will of course be understand that in place of pins 32, other locking means such as bolts and nuts could be equally well utilized.

Prior to final insertion of pins 32 as above described, cross-bars 14 are arranged to be operatively connected to and between adjacent sets of standards at the vertical height at which the staging is to be subsequently placed. Cross-bar 14 is of substantially the same cross-sectional size and length as bar 22 of the ground engaging element and is likewise arranged to have each end thereof operatively inserted into a cavity 28 on standard 12. Means are provided on cross-bar 14 to limit inward movement of the standards relative thereto in much the same manner as edges 31 of the angular legs and an outer edge 36 of leg 16 limits such movement of the standards adjacent the base of the structure. Such means include a depending wedge 37 secured to the lower surface of the bar and having outer shoulders 3Sagainst which the standards may abut when the unit is assembled. Although this arrangement of abutting surfaces on the standards, cross bars and horses will substantially prevent displacement of the standards, I again prefer to provide a safety attachment between the cross bar and standards in the form of the pins 32 engageable with the aforementioned apertures 33 in the standards and similar apertures 39 in the cross-bars.

It will be understood that cross-bars 14 may be installed at any desired elevation along the standards by merely inserting the same in the appropriate cavities 28. The horses may be placed at any desired distance apart, and with the cross-bar of each set of standards disposed at substantially the same elevation relative to the ground, it is only necessary to lay one or more planks 41 across the cross-bar to provide the staging or working platform 13. Attention is also directed to the fact that cross-bars 14 are shorter than the horizontal support bar 17 for the reason that in use, an end of the latter bar may be placed aaginst a building for adding rigidity to the structure, and yet the standards, cross-bar 14 and staging 13 will all be clear of the building to permit work to be performed on the building adjacent the staging.

To complete the structure, diagonal bracing 46 may be temporarily nailed or bolted to the standards as shown in Figure 3, and while such bracing is not essential, it will assist the main components of the unit in supporting the occupant of the scaffold.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a simple, inexpensive and sturdy scaffold, which may be readily erected or taken down by a single individual without requiring the use of special tools or training.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a pair of parallel spaced horizontally disposed bar members, leg means secured to and supporting said bar members above the ground with the respective ends thereof projecting beyond said leg means, a vertically disposed standard adjacent the ends of each bar member, said leg means restraining inward rocking movement of the portion of said standards below said bar members, said standard having means thereon defining a plurality of spaced apertures through which said bar members may be slidably engaged, second bar members overlying said first bar members having the ends thereof slidably engaged in other standard apertures, stop means on said second bar members engageable with inner wall portions of said standards for restraining inward rocking movement of the portions of said standards above said first mentioned bar members, and panel-like means supported on said second bar members and extending therebetween.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the spacing between one of said standard apertures and the lower end of said standard is substantially equal to the spacing between said first mentioned bar members and the lower surface of said leg means.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said stop means on said second bar members are disposed adjacent the ends thereof and are spaced apart substantially equal to the horizontal spacing between the outer surfaces of said leg means, and said first bar members have a greater length than said second bar members.

4. Knock-down scaffold apparatus including a pair of parallel spaced bar members, leg means spaced inwardly from each end of the respective members for supporting the latter in horizontal position, a second bar member operatively connected to said leg means and disposed below each of said bar members in fixed spaced relationship thereto, a standard for the respective ends of said bar members and being provided with a plurality of spaced apertures for simultaneously receiving the respective ends of said first and second bar members and said apertures having a depth less than that of the portions of said first and second bar members which extend beyond said leg means, and a third bar member disposed above the level of each of said first bar members in selectively variable spacing therefrom, said third bar members being insertible in selected opposed apertures of a pair of adjacent standards and having a length less than the length of said first and second bar members whereby the ends thereof will be substantially coplanar with theouter surfaces of said standards.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which said standards are provided with holes traversing said apertures and said bar members are likewise provided with matching holes whereby when said apparatus is assembled, said holes in the standard and bar members will be in alignment for receiving a locking pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 835,059 Curley Nov. 6, 1906 841,931 Chescbro Jan. 22, 1907 966,801 Daisley Aug. 9, 1910 1,871,041 Cavanagh Aug. 9, 1932 2,383,449 Clark Aug. 28, 1945 2,435,461 Parker Feb. 3', 1948 2,632,676 Everett Mar. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 172,474 Great Britain Dec. 15, 1921 327,045 Great Britain Mar. 27, 1930 465,647 Canada June 6, 1950 

